In recent years several companies have supplied a variety of peel-reclose packages. Prior technology used mechanical die cutting of films in combination with pressure sensitive adhesive or PSA labels, or scoring of built-in PSA packaging films (PSA layers integrated into the packaging film structure). Mechanical die cutting is not a flexible or accurate process for controlled depth scoring. It requires the need for storing tooling and replacing tooling when worn or trying different patterns, materials, etc. Die cutting is not a clean process thus risking contamination of the product. Die cutting is not reliable due to inconsistency of the score depth, which could compromise the integrity of the package barrier or functionality of the opening feature. Puncture or sharp cuts can occur when die cutting that could result in package propagating in the wrong direction or opening involuntarily.
Integrated PSA into the structure of the packaging film is very expensive to manufacture and requires special machines to both laminate the PSA layer within the film structure and complex laser or mechanical cutting of the score pattern.